Biathlon: French juniors crowned champions in Östersund
On Wednesday morning, Célia Henaff, Voldiya Galmace-Paulin, Anaëlle Bondoux and Amandine Mengin became world junior relay champions in Östersund (Sweden). At the end of a magnificent race, the French won to end their World Championships in the best possible way.
After this superb performance and the presentation of their gold medal, the Tricolores spoke to Nordic Magazine about their day.
Célia Henaff, first female relay runner
“I set off at a fast pace because I wanted to run my race without looking around. I arrived at the finish 6 seconds ahead, but I needed my 3 picks. I managed to put them in and set off again [30 seconds off the lead]. I was making up time on my skis and, when I got to my feet, I could see that things were going wrong in front of me. I got my shot in and hit the first three balls. I missed the fourth and then the fifth, and I hit it on the first attempt. I came out on top as it was all going round at the front!”
“So I did my last ski lap of the Worlds, which was also my last lap in Östersund for this year, as I wanted to do and I gave everything to pass the baton to Voldiya [Galmace-Paulin]. After I’d passed, I was just euphoric to see what the girls were going to do. I had so much confidence in them that I never doubted! They were super strong and I was full of joy and pride.”
“We were the favourites and everyone told us we had a great team, a lot of strengths and the potential to win. We wanted to show the others that we were there and not flinch under the pressure. I think we handled the emotion really well!”
“Winning a title together is just fantastic, it’s an immense source of pride! It represents the nation and the level of the French women at the moment. It’s really cool and it brings the World Championships to a close in the best possible way. A gold medal is really cool and great! What’s more, we’ve won the Nations Cup and the relay, so it’s just a perfect day for biathlon. We’re so happy!”
Voldiya Galmace-Paulin, second thrower
“I was quite stressed before the race because I don’t find relays easy races. Célia [Henaff] started me off with the Norwegian 2 seconds behind. I did my run on the skis without looking back and then I did a prone shot which went really well at 5/5. When I got to the standing shot, I had a bit of a lead and I missed the last one! I put my ball straight in and was able to give the relay to Anaëlle [Bondoux] with a lead, so I’m very satisfied with my race.”
“Winning this team title represents four great races put together, but also the strength of the French team! We had a great team on paper, but we still needed to put it into practice. We’re just really happy to have done it without letting ourselves get carried away. That’s what made us so strong!”
“For my part, these World Championships have not been easy on an individual level. I fell a little short of what I would have liked, but I’m still bringing home two medals in the relay. I know I can still be happy about that, especially as there wasn’t much missing in the individual competition to make it happen.”
Anaëlle Bondoux, third relay runner
“I saw the first stints because the warm-up track was right alongside the race track. I saw that things had gone really well for Célia [Henaff] and that Voldiya [Galmace-Paulin] had opened up a gap. It was a bit stressful to take over in the lead, but it’s inevitably more enjoyable than being far behind. It was great and it made me want to continue the work the girls have been doing.”
“I knew it was going to be tough physically, but everyone’s legs get tired at the end of the World Championships, so I wanted to do a really good job with my shooting, where the difference is usually made in the relays. I’m very happy with my two shots!”
“On paper, we were the favourites, we knew that, but we also knew, above all, that we had everything we needed to win, and to win in style. We just had to keep up the hard work and fight. We were extremely motivated and concentrated. This relay just goes to show how strong French women’s biathlon is at the moment.”
“It’s great to win this race. We all really wanted it and we were really motivated! It’s great because we’re a great team and we put all our individual performances into practice in this great race. It’s a great way to end the World Championships and it’s magical. These are moments we’ll always remember!”
Amandine Mengin, fourth relay runner
“I had plenty of time to get stressed out by the girls’ three runs. They were incredible! Each of them did an incredible relay and, when I was launched with a lead, I said to myself, Amandine, don’t do anything stupid (sic).”
“I wanted to do a good sprint as I went along, but it wasn’t easy to do. I couldn’t handle the downhill, I needed the picks and I shook a lot when I stood up. But I’m really pleased that I hung in there and all the balls went in.”
“We knew we were the favourites on paper, but the instructions were clear: we had to put together four good races to go for gold because the other nations could also do it.”
“Winning a title together is so incredible! Sharing the same medal with a close-knit team is four times more emotional. For the team, it’s a great achievement. It’s what the World Championships are all about, and we needed this medal to show ourselves that we were capable of doing it.”
- The full programme for the World Youth and Junior Championships in Östersund
- With Voldiya Galmace-Paulin, Amandine Mengin, Gaëtan Paturel and Anaëlle Bondoux: the French team selection for the 2025 World Youth and Junior Championships in Östersund.
- Östersund: despite a ruptured ulnar collateral ligament in her left thumb, Anaëlle Bondoux will be lining up at the start of the World Junior Championships
- After a difficult start to the season, Antonin Guy has bounced back to secure his place at the World Youth Championships: “It’s like a reward for all the work we’ve put in since mid-January”.
- “We had to fight right to the end to get this ticket”: how Alice Dusserre qualified for the World Youth Championships in Östersund by the skin of her teeth.
- “I’m going there with the desire to take responsibility for my biathlon”: at the Junior Worlds in Östersund, Corentin Jacob returns to international competition two years after his last selection
- Östersund: Ilona Plechacova individual world youth champion, Lola Bugeaud sixth
- Östersund World Youth Championships: Antonin Guy in individual gold for the second year running, Léo Carlier in bronze
- “A real achievement”, “It feels great”: Antonin Guy and Léo Carlier, gold and bronze medallists in the individual event at the World Youth Championships in Östersund, talk about their race.
- Östersund: Célia Henaff becomes world junior individual champion, silver for Amandine Mengin
- Junior Cup: Bresse’s Amandine Mengin, second in Östersund, wins the individual globe
- Célia Henaff, new world junior individual champion: “A first victory, a first medal, a first 20/20”.
- “I’m really shocked”: Amandine Mengin, silver medallist in the individual event at the Junior Worlds and winner of the small globe, wasn’t expecting this…
- Östersund: Sivert Gerhardsen individual world junior champion, Edgar Geny eighth
- Östersund Youth World Championships: Louise Roguet, Lola Bugeaud, Camille Grataloup-Manissolle and Léo Carlier bronze medallists in the mixed relay won by Norway
- Östersund: despite four penalty laps and a fall, Voldiya Galmace-Paulin, Amandine Mengin, Gaëtan Paturel and Edgar Geny are runners-up in the junior mixed relay.
- “Even with four laps to go, we’re capable of going for a medal”: the words of Voldiya Galmace-Paulin, Amandine Mengin, Gaëtan Paturel and Edgar Geny, silver medallists in the mixed relay at the World Junior Championships.
- Östersund Youth World Championships: Louise Roguet takes silver in the sprint, Norway’s Martine Skog takes gold
- “I tried to be more relaxed in the downhill, doing the opposite of the mixed relay where I was so stressed…”. How Louise Roguet picked up the gauntlet to become runner-up in the world junior sprint championship.
- Östersund: Léo Carlier wins silver in the sprint at the Youth World Championships, Germany’s Lukas Tannheimer takes the title
- “I never thought I’d start the World Championships this way”: three medals in three races in Östersund for Léo Carlier, silver in the sprint
- Östersund Junior World Championships: Amandine Mengin takes bronze in the sprint, the title goes to Austria’s Anna Andexer
- “I didn’t even know there were globes”: three-time medallist at the Junior World Championships in Östersund, Amandine Mengin will be competing for the Junior Cup’s big globe in the Mass-Start 60.
- Östersund: Norway’s Haavard Tosterud world junior sprint champion, Axel Garnier ninth
- Östersund: Louise Roguet world youth champion in the Mass-Start 60
- “When I cross the line, there’s a lot of joy”: Louise Roguet tells Nordic Magazine how she became World Youth Champion in the Mass-Start 60 in Östersund.
- Östersund Youth Worlds: Léo Carlier crowned world champion in the mass-start 60 ahead of Flavio Guy and Camille Grataloup-Manissolle
- “We couldn’t have imagined it”: Léo Carlier, Flavio Guy and Camille Grataloup-Manissolle talk about their fabulous triple in the mass-start 60 at the Östersund World Youth Championships
- In the wind of Östersund, Anaëlle Bondoux is runner-up in the Junior 60 mass-start, Sara Andersson takes gold on home soil
- Junior Cup: second in Östersund, Anaëlle Bondoux wins the small mass-start globe
- “It was a complete ordeal, it even crossed my mind to stop racing…”: Anaëlle Bondoux tells Nordic Magazine about her Mass-Start 60 in Östersund, which ended with a silver medal and the small globe.
- Top athlete at the Junior World Championships in Östersund, Amandine Mengin wins a quota for the World Cup finals in Oslo-Holmenkollen
- Östersund Junior Worlds: Kasper Kalkenberg golden in the Mass-Start 60, Gaëtan Paturel sixth
- Östersund: Germany’s young relay world champions, Alice Dusserre, Coralie Perrin and Louise Roguet ninth
- Östersund: Camille Grataloup-Manissolle, Antonin Guy and Léo Carlier crowned world youth relay champions
- “A title with my mates, it’s crazy and just incredible”: Camille Grataloup-Manissolle, Antonin Guy and Léo Carlier tell us how they became world youth relay champions in Östersund.
- Östersund: hot favourites Célia Henaff, Voldiya Galmace-Paulin, Anaëlle Bondoux and Amandine Mengin are crowned world junior relay champions
- Östersund: Norway become world junior relay champions, France’s Axel Garnier, Gaëtan Paturel, Edgar Geny and Corentin Jacob tenth
